Dr. Shultz
In The Unknown Diamonds, Dr. Shultz was a German research scientist who maintained a research station in the deserts of Southwest Africa (now Namibia), near the Grosse Kara mountains, where he collected monkeys to be shipped to zoos and research laboratories around the world. Because of the remote location, he was also licenced to operate an aircraft, an ex-wartime Dornier, flown by his pilot Leffers. Biggles first met Dr. Shultz when he came to Southwest Africa to investigate a case of diamond smuggling. A batch of unknown diamonds had been found at a pawnbroker's shop in London during a police raid. Diamonds of such fine quality could only have come from Southwest Africa and probably by air so Biggles flew out with the Air Police crew to take a look. Dr. Shultz was the only person in the Kalahari at that time to operate an aircraft but at first Biggles did not look him up. Instead, he flew a search over the Kalahari desert looking for wheel tracks or anything to indicate the operation of an aircraft. After eight days, they spot rectangular objects on the ground which turned out to be jerry-cans of water. These were owned by bushmen but how did they get them? They also seemed to be kitted out with fresh tobacco and modern jack knives. Someone had been giving presents to the bushmen and it might well be Dr. Shultz, whose place was only twenty miles away. Biggles arrives to be greeted cordially by Dr. Shultz who explains his business and shows them his hangar where a batch of monkeys is being loaded into his Dornier transport to be shipped out to Europe. Biggles, examining the animals, discovered lumps in the neck of one with a grey face. Thinking he had uncovered the details of the scheme, Biggles arranged for the grey-faced monkey, to be intercepted at the port of entry at London Airport where the diamonds were uncovered surgically implanted in the monkey. Another Shultz, the brother of the doctor, had come to collect the monkey and he was arrested and confessed to the whole scheme. It turned out that during his time in the desert, the Kalahari bushmen had brought Dr. Shultz diamonds which they found in the desert gravel. Shultz traded these diamonds for cheap trinkets such as pipes and jackets and also supplied them with tobacco and jerry cans of water. Shultz then had these diamonds surgically implanted into his monkeys which were then sent by air to his brother in Britain where the diamonds, smuggled in free of duty, were sold and the proceeds donated to a charitable foundation in Germany caring for disabled soldiers. Dr. Shultz and Leffers were never seen again. They had fled by the time the Southwest African police reached his establishment. It was assumed that he and Leffers flew to Germany in the Dornier, either because they took fright after Biggles' visit or they had received a warning message from Shultz in London. Category:Biggles characters Category:People Category:Air Police era characters